by Tim Flanagan
‘I have nothing to offer but my sword and my arm. I command no armies, or kingdoms. What can one man do?’
‘Your sword is famous, but there is more to a sword than the metal that makes the blade. As I'm sure you know, the person who holds it also commands its power. And there is more. You have two children with you; they are your army. None are more loyal or brave than the two you see before you.’
‘You would put children onto a battle-field!’ interrupted the centaur in disbelief. He took a few steps forward from where he stood beside one of the large wooden chairs. From the waist upwards he had the chest of a man that was joined to the legs and body of a black and brown muscular stallion. Across his chest a circular shield of highly polished gold bearing the three horse banner of the centaurs, glittered in the starry chamber light. Strapped by thick black leatherwork alongside both shoulders of the horse’s body were two immensely long swords that ran the length of the horse towards his hind legs and the braided tail hair. ‘Are we so desperate for soldiers that we should take children to their death? We are fighting for a future that is free from the greed and destruction of the queen, but what future will there be if our children are not here to enjoy it?’
Joe and Scarlet didn’t like the thought of having to fight against creatures who were skilled with swords and were grateful to the centaur for standing up and defending them.
There were mutterings of agreement around the chamber.
‘I will not be part of a battle where children are used to simply make up the numbers,’ added the centaur.
‘I understand your concerns, Prince Chiron, but they will not be fighting alongside you or me,’ replied King Conroy gently. ‘The children and Sir Edgar form part of a plan away from the actual battle-field. It is they that will be the ones to free us from the queen, not us. We are simply the soldiers who draw the queen’s army into battle to leave her exposed.’
‘What if this knight is not the ancient one we have been waiting for?' asked a dwarf with a dark red fiery beard that hung down in two plaits between his legs to rest on the step beneath his wooden chair. His eyes, which presumably were situated somewhere between the large expanded nose and the green cloth hood, were hidden in shadow. Green metal with silver inlaid vines and foliage covered his thick set shoulders and thighs. Beneath the metal armour soft green cloth was stretched over his round stomach and arms and resting on his lap lay a thick shafted axe. Balanced in his right hand was the pot bellied end of a long stemmed briar wood pipe releasing soft curls of smoke, the mouth piece hovering just inches away from his thick dry lips. ‘How do we know he’s not a spy in the pay of the queen?’
‘It’s typical of a hill dwarf not to trust anyone,’ said one of the ground dwellers to the others.
‘I’ve crushed rocks with my bare hands that are bigger than your head so mind your tongue, cousin,’ replied the red bearded dwarf.
‘Please,’ King Conroy stood up from his throne, ‘we are not here to fight amongst ourselves. If we are to be successful we need to put aside any petty family feuds and join together.’ King Conroy sat once again on the cold stone of his throne and addressed Edgar in a softer tone.
‘Will you help us?’ he asked simply.
‘I will help you in your fight against the faerie queen,’ said Edgar bravely. ‘However, if we should succeed, in return I ask for your help in fighting the war in my own world.’
‘But how do we enter your world? The portals have been blocked for so long that their whereabouts have now passed into legend and not even the elders know of there true locations,’ replied King Conroy.
‘The child we came looking for is a Seer; he is descended from an ancient family and has the ability to see the portals that exist between our worlds.’
‘Do you know where this child is?’
‘We believe he is being held by the queen inside the Twisted Tower,’ replied Edgar.
The Goranean king looked thoughtful.
‘What if the child is dead?' he eventually said.
‘We also have in our possession a very powerful magical flute which can open the portals if we knew where they were. It even opened a dore to your very own kingdom.’
At this comment, King Conroy’s face showed concern that his mountain could have been penetrated so easily. He looked over to Anjela who stood patiently in front of the doors at the other end of the chamber. She nodded, agreeing with what Edgar had said.
Lady Flora was intrigued ‘Where is this flute?'
Edgar turned to Joe who slid off the oversized chair and walked down to stand beside Edgar. He pulled the Silver Bough from beneath his clothing and placed it on the floor at the king’s feet. Although it had glistened silver and bright in his hands, as soon as it had left Joe’s touch it seemed to take on a duller, more stone-like appearance as it had been when they found it in the fountain statue in front of Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh.
Lady Flora gracefully stepped from her chair and leant over the Silver Bough, relying on her magical staff to support her weight.
‘A druid’s flute,’ she muttered before turning to Joe. ‘Are you the only one it will play for?’
Joe nodded. Her striking green eyes were slightly unsettling and seemed to read every thought that was passing through Joe’s mind. He had to turn his head down to avoid her gaze.
‘We have before us a boy unknowingly gifted with a druid’s touch and a knight who can live forever,’ at first Lady Flora seemed to be talking to Joe and Edgar, but the volume of her voice increased as she addressed the rest of the gathering inside the council chamber. ‘There can be no doubt that the timing is right to claim back our lands for ourselves. This is the moment we have been waiting for. Should we succeed, I for one pledge to travel to their world and help in their war too.’
As she turned away from the rest of the chamber to walk back up to her chair, Joe was sure he heard her whisper under her breath; ‘… but which of you is the one of ancient wisdom and knowledge that we seek?’
King Conroy stood up from his throne once again and addressed Edgar. ‘Should we win, you also have my assurance that I will help you in your fight.’
26. Skimming Stones
Max had managed to find a quiet glade where rain water collected in a reflective pool that mirrored the surrounding trees. It was nice to find somewhere quiet, away from the hoards of Rangers who, when they weren’t hijacking convoys on the
Shadow Road, were eating or training with blunt swords. He sat down on a smooth round boulder next to the pool and stared at his own reflection. He felt different to how he had been in their world. Instead of being scared of everything or always choosing the safe option all the time, he felt like he had grown up. In this world he had survived creatures far worse than the older children at school that teased him. Not knowingly, he rubbed the ankle where the Moon Stealer had grabbed him outside the tunnel beneath Edinburgh Castle. Beside him the unicorn also looked down at its reflection in the water then turned and started to playfully nuzzle against Max's arm. Max reached out and scratched at the soft velvety skin beneath the jaw bone. Unicorns couldn’t be stroked on the head like a dog because of the horn, which she didn’t like being touched, but Max knew that she enjoyed being scratched under her chin. Max had named her Silver and she had taken to following him everywhere he went. Occasionally she would let Max ride on her back; twisting handfuls of soft white mane between his fingers so that he could hold on whenever she ran along the valley dodging the trees and campfires.
He realised that wanting to get to the queen to find Peter and a way home was not a particularly wise idea. From the stories he had heard about the queen he doubted that she was likely to let him walk away so easily and he might end up captive with Peter. He thought back to when they had met Ralphina and the wolves and Edgar had explained that the only way to save Peter and get home was to fight with the Caniards against the queen. Even though he had been separated from the others, Max realised that one way or another, he was going to
be dragged into this war, whether it was with Edgar, the Caniards or the Rangers. So for once, he wasn’t going to hide behind anyone, but decided to face his fate standing tall with determination and strength.
‘We can do this,’ he confidently whispered to Silver.
‘I’ve told you before that it's no use talkin' to unicorns. They can’t talk back,’ came the voice of Littleskink from further along the water’s edge. He picked up a flat stone from the ground and skimmed it across the surface of the water, breaking up the reflections and causing ever-expanding ripples to lap against the boulder Max was sat on.
‘Have I told you about the time I went huntin' in the Great Sea for the Sabre Tooth Kraken? Me and six other goblins set out in a boat I won from a sailor called Vlad or Rad, I can’t remember which. The boat’s name I do remember - it was called The Valiant Lion, which I thought rather odd as I’m sure lions don’t like water. Anyway, we set off across the water and over the edge of the horizon towards the settin' sun. Waves twice as high as these trees came crashing onto our boat every night floodin' it with water. One night Smutjack, one of the goblins was washed away by a wave the size of the Twisted Tower, never to be seen again. None of us slept until, on the fifteenth day we reached calmer waters. By then we had very little food left so I began to rely on my pebble skimming skills to knock gulls from the surface of the water then fish them out. Roasted gull, salted gull, smoked gull, gull with seaweed, gull soup and even the occasional gull egg. We ate the lot.’
Max looked over to the goblin as he picked up another flat stone, bent low and spun it over the surface. ‘Where did you get the pebbles from if you were on a boat?' he asked.
‘My pocket of course,’ replied Littleskink as if Max was stupid. To demonstrate he opened his hand to show it was empty then placed it into his deep jacket pocket and removed a stone which he then flicked into the water.
‘The Rangers seem intent on joining the war and attacking the queen,’ Max said out loud.
‘Yes, they do,’ Littleskink replied thoughtfully. Joe was waiting for him to say something else but for once he didn’t; he just continued to examine the pebble he had picked up from the ground.
‘I overheard some of the soldiers say that the Green Huntsmen had arrived and were talking with the elders,’ said Max after a while. ‘Behind us the fire elf army is progressing along the
Shadow Road, and ahead the army that defends the queen awaits us. We are trapped between the two and no matter how long the Rangers hide in this valley, one day they will be found. Did you ever find the Sabre Tooth Kraken?' Max asked curiously. ‘No. Sometimes when you go lookin' for somethin' you never find it, but other times you have to wait for things to come to you.’
Littleskink’s last comment made Max think for a while. He could hear the plopping of stones as they jumped over the surface of the water, he could hear the heavy breathing of Silver who had almost lapsed into sleep from Max’s constant stroking and he could even hear the buzz of insects as they danced in and out of the sunbeams that broke through the tree tops. But Littleskink’s last words seemed to be repeating themselves inside his head until he began to realise why.
‘Littleskink, has anyone ever told you what a genius you are?’ Max jumped up excitedly and began climbing the bank of stone and mud leaving the unicorn and the goblin looking at each other in confusion. It wasn’t long, however, until they left the pool and started running after Max, eager to see where he was going, or what he was talking about.
Max darted through the trees, heading in the vague direction of the camp, listening for the tell-tale signs of activity; metal clanging, voices laughing, children squealing and mothers humming a tune. He suddenly realised that Silver had caught up and was running alongside him, whilst Littleskink’s short legs weren’t built for speed so his voice was calling for Max to slow down.
Outside the round elders' shelter he skidded to a halt. A green-faced soldier stood blocking the doorway, his hood low over his eyes. Max noticed that there were short spikes running down the sides of both forearms and a larger spike pointing out from the front of his shoes. Across his chest was the string attached to a bow that was hung over his back, whilst at his left hip was the hilt of a sword sticking out from a leather sheath.
‘I wish to speak to one of the tribal chiefs,’ said Max as he struggled to get his breath back.
The green man turned and stuck his head beneath the fan-like roof and made a series of whistles and clicks to the occupants, then turned back to Max and stepped aside. No higher than the greenman’s waist stood the elderly man who had brought them down from the Citadel of Fraegtore, although Max still didn’t know his name. Most of the Rangers seemed to simply call him Grandfather.
Max stepped through into the shelter and sat where he could find a space around the outer edge. It was lighter inside than it had been the last time he had been inside. Some of the elderly chiefs were still there, puffing on their pipes or nibbling on the edges of a chunk of bread like a mouse, but there were also three people he hadn’t seen before, all dressed and painted in green like the guard outside. One was younger than the other two who both had thickly lined faces crowned with a ring of rusted metal leaves and feathers.
Littleskink noisily stumbled into the shelter, breathlessly panting.
‘I’m with him,’ he said pointing at Max as everyone looked up at him.
‘Greetings, young Max,’ said the old man, ‘as always you are welcome within the meeting hut.’ He gestured towards the others around the circle that he was unfamiliar with. ‘Our friends the Green Huntsmen have arrived.’
‘Tree jumpers?’ said Littleskink.
‘They have travelled far to get here, master goblin. You are honoured to be one of only a few who have actually seen huntsmen without being killed. As you have no doubt heard, they prefer to keep themselves safely hidden within the canopy of the trees far beyond the clouds of mist, living off the fruit and water that collects amongst the leaves and watching the follies of others below.’
‘Have they agreed to help you?' asked Max.
‘Progress is slow as they do not speak our language, but rely on a series of whistles and clicks to communicate. They have organised their groups and have swollen our numbers by a further five hundred soldiers, all expert archers and climbers. You would not have known it but hundreds of eyes watched you as you approached this shelter. We have agreed to join forces and march on the Twisted Tower within three days.’
‘I have an alternative plan,’ Max said, slightly embarrassed about putting his idea forward. ‘It seems to me that all your success has always been in ambush rather than attack.’
The old man nodded his head, encouraging Max to continue.
‘Well, if you march on the tower, the queen is likely to have scouts watching her borders so you will lose the element of surprise. But, if you look behind us, an army of fire elves is marching along the
Shadow Road to reinforce the queen’s soldiers. If you attack the tower you could be stuck defending the rear to the elves whilst fighting at the front. If you have to fight on two sides, your soldiers will become split and vulnerable.’ ‘So what is your alternative plan?' asked one of the other elder chiefs.
‘Why not ambush the fire elves first and prevent them from reaching the tower, then march on the tower with additional armour and weapons as well as knowing that your rear is not likely to be attacked?’
‘Aye,’ muttered another elder under his breath, ‘but we would lose soldiers before we even got to the Tower.’
‘If you all want to play a part in this war, it seems to me that the best place to start would be in preventing the queen from gaining more soldiers. This is your road. Nobody knows it better than your people and any convoy moving along it, especially something as big and as a slow as the army of elves, would be vulnerable to attack. You will lose some of your soldiers, but on an open battlefield you will lose many more, if not all of them. Someone once said to me that there are times when you
need to wait for things to come to you, rather than going to seek them.’
Littleskink smiled knowingly to himself.
27. In Search of the Portals
The discussions inside the council chamber continued for some time until it was agreed that Ralphina should take the children out to rest while Edgar remained in talks with the other leaders. They were escorted to a room that had been made up with extra beds and blankets for them all to sleep in. Because of the additional soldiers currently being housed within the mountain, every available bit of floor space was being used but Anjela had agreed to let Edgar, Ralphina and the children use her own room. Inside the room the stone walls were perfectly smooth and marbled with thin veins of different coloured rocks as well as seams of iron and quartz that glittered in the false magical stars in the ceiling. A balcony that joined on to the room, had been cut out of the east side of the mountain, hidden from view by a rocky overhang that shielded it from above, whilst below was a sheer drop of smooth stone with no cracks or footholds, making it impossible for anyone to break into. Even the gulls that constantly flew around the cliff top found it too difficult to make nests on this part of the mountain.
Joe stood looking out across the tops of the trees to the black tower in the distance. Every time he looked at the tower, it seemed like more smoke came from the border of the outer walls, than before. Great scars where the trees had been cut down left wounds in the earth that would take generations to heal. Even the swirling black clouds above the tower appeared to be depressed and heavy, full of apprehension and fear. Far behind Joe on the other side of the mountain, Mount Fury continued to rumble but at this distance it seemed to be less noticeable.
Scarlet silently walked up and stood beside Joe, instinctively taking his hand. Neither said anything they just continued to stare towards the Twisted Tower and their future.